A Fox among the Cherry Blossoms
by StrykerOfTheNight
Summary: The War is over, enemies defeated. People have closure. Teammates find they share feelings for one another and a new enemy approaches that threatens everything they hope to accomplish. M for some language and stuff later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys well I am going to try my hand at two stories at once. Some of you may have read my ItaIzu story. I am hoping this may be easier to write. I honestly thought that Naruto and Sakura should have gotten together at the end of Shippuden but alas all I have are these fanfictions. This is going to take place post-war with a brand new villain, or villain group. Still working out all the details so bear with me. Hope you enjoy.**

 **As always I do not own Naruto.**

 **Feelings**

Everything was getting back to normal in the Leaf. It had been a quiet few months since the war had ended, Madara was defeated, the tailed beasts had been released, and Sasuke had been killed. _'Killed…'_ Sakura thought to herself. She couldn't believe that she had been ok after hearing that he had fallen in his final battle against Naruto.

Naruto had made her feel better about Sasuke's passing telling her that Sasuke had thanked him for treating him like a friend, rival, and to tell Team 7 and Kakashi-sensei that he was sorry for everything. That last part had torn her up inside for a while, but now she was moving past it and was thankful for her friends and especially for Naruto. He was speaking to her as she snapped out of her daydream.

"Hey Sakura, do you want to go grab a bite to eat?" Naruto asked smiling with that big goofy grin he always gave.

Normally Sakura wouldn't want to but something changed her mind. "You know what Naruto sure! But you are paying." she laughed. The two of them took off down the street as she shouted, "No Ichiraku!"

Since he couldn't have his ramen he let Sakura decide on the place since all he ever really ate was ramen. He looked rather down and distraught realizing he had no variety in his diet. They moved through the busy streets of Konoha, scouring the city for a good place to eat so late. Sakura had to guess it was almost ten. Finally the two found a barbeque place that smelled absolutely amazing.

They were seated immediately and began to look over the menu. "So Sakura, how are things going at the hospital?" Naruto asked her curiously.

She shrugged and said, "Eh, its going. It has been rather boring of late. Just the occasion broken bone or training injury. I do enjoy helping at the pediatric clinic though."

"Pediatric?" Naruto asked honestly confused by the word.

She laughed loudly as him. "It's a kids clinic."

He sheepishly grinned at her as he put two and two together. "Ohhhhh that makes sense."

She questioned him, "So what are Lady Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei doing to prepare you to take over as Hokage?"

"Well eventually they will send me on missions to other nations to learn how diplomacy works and how to maintain the peace. There is a lot of reading. I wanted to ask as well. If I need help with any of my reading or work would you be able to help?" he asked.

She genuinely smiled at his request. "Yes of course I will help you." She sat there thinking to herself as he spoke again. _'Wow he really has grown. He is taking his job a lot more seriously than I thought he would have.'_ She found herself losing herself in his deep blue gaze. Her face beginning to redden as she thought about him. _'Wait quit it! He is my teammate.'_

Naruto waving at her brought her out of her deep thinking. "Hey Sakura are you alright?" he asked concerned. "Your face is all red."

She scrambled to find an excuse. "Uhhhh….its just really hot in here." Smiling at her he seemed to take that as truth. They continued talking and laughing about old times and past missions. Their food came out stacked high on several plates as they began cooking it on the grill sat in between them. For hours they sat there eating and talking with not a care in the world. Finally a rather small man approached the table giving the two a pained smile, "Uh, yes would you please pay and go so my workers and I can go home. It's almost one in the morning."

Both their eyes widened, "One in the morning!" Naruto handed the man the rather large amount of money needed to cover the bill. The jinchuuriki and the kunoichi exited the building looking at the starry night sky. "Let me walk you home." Naruto said to her.

"Really Naruto that isn't necessary," she responded holding her hands up. Though the knucklehead ninja would not take no for an answer and so they departed in the direction of her home. "Seriously Naruto thank you for dinner. It has been a long time since I have eaten that good."

"Well we could always start a new trend. How about I pick you up sometime this week and we go out again." He told her smiling, eyes ever focused on the road in front of them.

Her heart fluttered for a moment. He was asking her out again. Her inner self saying _'I mean what could going out again really hurt.'_

"I'd like that. How about Tuesday? You can pick me up from the hospital at seven." she told him confidently. Before they realized it they had arrived at Sakura's home. Turning around she gave him a quick hug, thanked him for dinner and shut the door.

All Naruto could do his entire way back to his apartment was grin. Sakura had actually wanted to go out with him again. He had to convince himself he was not dreaming he was so in shock. He knew that Lady Tsunade would have his ass on a platter if he was late tomorrow for their briefing but he didn't care.

Sakura was laying in bed but she couldn't sleep. _'I don't know why I am feeling like this. He is my teammate, there is no way he likes me like that anymore. Hinata was always infatuated with him.'_ After tonight and all he had done for her since his return two years ago from training with Jiraiya, she couldn't help but feel guilty. _'I've caused him so much heartache over the years, with all of the promises I made him keep regarding Sasuke. Always shooting down his advances when he really is a nice guy when you get to know him. I'm really happy I am giving him a chance.'_ She turned over gazing out the window in her room before sleep soon found her.

The next morning started to early for Sakura as her internal clock woke her up at what she could only assume was five thirty in the morning. She rolled out of bed to start getting ready for her work day. She sighed to herself, "Today is going to be a long day." By six she was on her way to work. Not too long after she started her walk to work she was greeted by a loud voice she could only assume was Naruto's.

"Sakura, good morning!" he called out. All she could do to respond was wave her hand a little. His hand shot into her view holding a cup.

"Whats this?" she asked confused.

He simply said, "Hot Tea."

She was shocked that Naruto would come all this way to bring coffee to her. "What brings you to this side of town with hot tea?"

"Well I knew we got in late last night and I have a meeting with Baa-chan at the hospital." he told her with his a smile.

"Seriously Naruto you have no idea how much this is going to help. I really didn't sleep well last night." she told him as they approached the hospital.

"How come Sakura?" he asked.

"I don't know honestly. I just had a lot on my mind when I got home." she said.

Not wanting to pry any farther he told her, "Ok well if you want to talk about anything you know I am here for you. We are a team."

She could feel her cheeks warm at that comment. "Thanks Naruto." They crossed the threshold of the building and he waved goodbye to her as he head down the main hall to Lady Tsunade's office. Opening the door, he stood before the Hokage but he was not the only one inside. Also standing inside was Team Ten.

"Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, it's good to see all of you guys." he said quickly before turning to the Hokage.

"Naruto, I'm glad you could finally join us. I am going to get started then. This is a mission to Suna. Lord Kazekage is trying to strike a deal with the Leaf dealing with trade routes. You will go in my stead Naruto and strike a deal we can both benefit from. Team Ten is joining you as your security. I know we won the war but people will always want what's inside of you," pointing to the jinchuuriki.

"No problem Baa-chan! Just leave it all to me. Gaara and I will figure it out." he replied confidently boasting.

"You all are dismissed. You are to be there by the time the sun rises three days from now." Tsunade said. All four ninja nodded and exited the office. Once outside Shikamaru said, "Hey Naruto we haven't seen you around as much."

"Sorry I have been training non-stop, also Kakashi-sensei has me studying all sorts of documents and sending me on missions to meet with foreign dignitaries. All the things I need to prepare myself for when I become Hokage." he told the lazy Nara.

"Hey Naruto we are going to grab a bite to eat. Do you want to join us?" Choji said patting him on the back.

Not thinking twice he agreed and they headed off to find food. Not paying much attention the team lead him to a building he didn't recognize until he stepped inside. It was the same barbeque place he had taken Sakura to the night prior. They sat and chatted about all the craziness of the war, and what they were doing now in their free time.

Shikamaru told him that he and Temari were dating, Ino was taking a more active role in her family's business after her dad's death during the war and helping every so often down at the hospital. Choji was pursuing mastery of all of his clans techniques and jutsu's to prepare himself to take the mantle of clan head from his father, Choza.

The owner came over to the table to make sure everything was to their liking when he recognized Naruto. "Is your friend going to be joining you all today?"

Eyeing Naruto suspiciously Ino asked, "Who is your friend Naruto?"

"Sakura brought me here last night after a training session," he said innocently.

"You and billboard brow went on a date last night?" she said in shock.

His face was starting to get a little red as he said, "We just grabbed a bite to eat. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Elbowing Ino, Shikamaru said, "Yeah Ino leave the guy alone. Who he goes on dates is his business." She dropped the subject but Naruto knew he would be hearing about this later hopefully not from an angry Sakura. The brunch they ate filled them all up and soon Naruto found himself at his apartment alone. He knew he needed to study so he cracked his book and started, _'The Intricacies of Trade Diplomacy….'_ Naruto groaned and decided maybe a quick nap as he laid his head down on the book.

Sakura's day was quite busy which she was not too happy about. She had already been through two surgeries and had a pile of paperwork a mile high. She held her head in her hands and let her mind wander for a moment. She pictured herself in a hot spring, the one she went to with all of her friends and how badly she needed a vacation. _'I wonder if Naruto would be able to come…'_ She laughed at herself. Admitting to an empty office, "I really do like Naruto." She looked down at her schedule and hit her that she would be busy well into the tomorrow night with work which included a major heart surgery. _'Damn well I guess I'll have to reschedule my dinner date.'_ Looking a little downtrodden she suddenly had a light bulb clicked on and she had an idea. Quickly she began to scribble something onto a piece of paper and called her assistant in.

Naruto laid sprawled out on his sofa with a book covering the majority of his face when a knock at the door startled him awake. Looking at his clock on the wall, _'Five in the afternoon.'_ he then realized he had slept for the majority of the day. Answering the door he was greeted by a woman in medical attire. "Hello?"

"I am sorry for the intrusion but my boss asked me to drop this off with you." she replied.

Grabbing the note he thanked the woman and shut the door. Opening it he began to read and as he did eyes got as wide as saucers and he smiled as big as he could. "I cannot wait to get this trade deal done."

 **xxxx**

Wednesday arrived without any issues and Naruto awoke and was at the gate by seven that morning. He was only there about a half hour before Team Ten arrived. "Nice of you guys to join me." he chuckled.

"Sorry, Choji forgot his pack at his apartment this morning, had to loop around and get it." Shikamaru explained trying to give his teammate a hard time. They soon were off, gliding through the trees at full speed Naruto was excited to see his old friend again, having not seen him since the wars end. As they travelled they talked about life and what they wanted to accomplish now that there was relative peace in the ninja world.

At their speed it took them about four hours to make it to the edge of Sand Nation territory. "So much for beauty," Ino remarked.

"Ino be nice." Shikamaru scolded jokingly.

"Sorry wouldn't want to insult your girlfriends home," she responded scratching her head. They moved through the desert for another five hours before they closed on the massive plateau that hid Suna from the rest of the world. At the gates they were promptly greeted by Temari, who immediately gave her man a hug.

"It's great to see all of you again. Follow me, the Kazekage is expecting you Naruto." Temari replied leading then into the village not letting go of Shikamaru.

 **Alright that will do it for Chapter 1 of my next story. I will be back with this one soon. I like where this is going so far. NaruSaku will follow be gaining ground in the next chapter. I like slow another few days off of work so I will be writing either on this story or my ItaIzu story. Please let me know what you think and as always Favorite, Follow, and Review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I usually wait a full day before I start writing the next chapter but I really just want to get started on this next chapter. So to recap, Sakura has admitted to herself that she does indeed have feelings for Naruto. Naruto of course likes Sakura, but even he is coming to grips with his date and how to navigate this new relationship. Honestly Temari and Shikamaru were last minute addition but I really like their dynamic. Kind of reminds me of my family. Anyway let's get started.**

 **I do not own Naruto.**

Naruto followed Temari and his team into a large building at the center of the village he correctly identified as their Kazekage's office. Down some narrow hallways and up a few flights of stairs they sat before a neatly ornate office. Sitting at his desk was the Kazekage himself, Gaara of the Sand, one of Naruto's closest friends.

"Naruto. It's great to see you." Gaara said gruffly. They met in front of the desk embracing.

"How have you been Gaara?" he asked.

"Very well, thank you. Things in the Sand have been very prosperous since the wars conclusion. I hope the same can be said of the Leaf?" he responded warmly. Temari motioned for Team Ten to follow her out.

Once outside of the office she said, "We should let them catch up and work on what they need to. Would you all like a tour of the Sand?" she asked looking over the three shinobi in front of her. Looking around at each other they all seemed to nod in agreement and Temari let the way out into the streets of the village.

Walking among the buildings they finally made their way to several open air bazaars where they proceeded to shop and look around, chatting amongst themselves about daily life. They walked and shopped for a few hours before they decided to head back into to the lodging they would be staying at during their trip. With Shikamaru by her side she led Team Ten down several streets to what the Leaf nin could assume was a really nice inn.

"So this is your lodging for your time here." Temari stated.

"Well please give our regards to the Kazekage this is a really nice place to stay." Ino said politely. The four nin walked inside and after acquiring their keys they were shown to their rooms.

Once Ino and Choji had entered their rooms Temari guided Shikamaru down to the end of the hall to his room. "I guess this one is yours," she said slyly. Giving her a grin and rolling his eyes he entered, followed closely by her.

 **xxxx**

Back across town Naruto and Gaara were deep into trade negotiations. They had been deep into discussions all afternoon and it wasn't until both their stomachs were noticeably rumbling when they decided to stop for dinner.

"So Gaara what kind of food do you all have here?" the young jonin replied grinning from ear to ear.

Returning his friends smile he simply said, "Whatever you would like?"

"Do you guys have ramen?" he asked knowing what his stomach was asking for. Within fifteen minutes the young men were chowing down on ramen to-go. They talked about nonsense, their personal lives and how things were changing for the better for both of them.

"It's nice that we can still come together and talk as friends despite our titles and such." Naruto said putting his food down.

Gaara was quick to agree. "It is incredible that we that are so young will be and are leading entire villages. Naruto I am willing to sign onto the last plan we drew up so that it will be beneficial to both our nation's." With that the two friends and colleagues went back to business mode and signed a formal trade treaty between their villages.

The two would end the night there as Naruto excused himself to his room. He knew where he needed to be by sunset tomorrow.

 **xxxx**

"Oh my god, SHIKAMARU," cried Temari arching her back in climax. Hearing his beautiful girlfriend call out his name, and feeling her tighten around him sent him spiraling over the edge. For a few minutes the two lay there completely spent. Shikamaru turning to lay on his side, he wraps his arms around her. As they lay in absolute happiness on the verge of sleep, Temari looks up into Shikamaru's eyes. "I love you Shika…"

His eyes locking with hers and without skipping a beat he responds, "I love you too Tem." Closing their eyes they were soon fast asleep.

 _ **Somewhere in a place hidden in the rain…..**_

A masked figure spoke to a group of shadowy figures. "Soon we will reveal ourselves to the world. We will bring about the destruction of one village at a time until there are none left. We will reshape the world in our image. Now go and make the necessary preparations." With this the shadowy figures each disappeared from view as if only a mirage.

 _ **Back in the Konoha…..**_

Sakura sat on her bed looking at her dresser. She needed to figure out what to bring with her to the Hot Springs. She had spoken to Lady Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei about taking a week off to recover and rest after working non-stop since the wars conclusion. Everything was set and she was honestly excited to relax away from the hubbub of the village for a little while. Plus she was hoping Naruto would be able to join her.

She decided she had packed everything and hurried to get ready for bed. As she laid in bed she tried to drift off to sleep with dreams of her and Naruto. _'Conscious you need to calm down with this. I know I'm excited but we aren't even dating yet.'_ She chuckled to herself as she talked to herself. Finally her mind seemed to quiet as she managed to get some sleep.

 **xxxx**

Naruto awoke around ten thirty in the morning and jumped up and excitedly started packing this things in his backpack. Once this task was completed he showered and headed down to eat with Gaara and the rest of his team. He managed to find them in a big meeting hall all gathered around a table.

"Hey guys!" he called out walking over and taking a seat. Everyone greeted the young jinchuuriki and continued to scarf down their food.

"I take it you slept well last night?" Temari asked.

"Yes, after Gaara and I got the treaty signed I crashed out on the bed. I wanted to let you guys know Shikamaru that I will not be joining you all on the way back to the village. I am going to take a few days off and help some families out in a village on our side of the border with Suna. I will give you the signed treaty to bring back to Kakashi-sensei." Naruto told Team Ten.

"Wow that is really nice of you Naruto." Choji and Ino both agreed. Breakfast lasted about an hour with the group talking about their plans for the rest of the week. As Team Ten and Naruto started for the gate Temari turned to Gaara. "Gaara, I am going to go to the Leaf for a few days."

He gave her a slight nod and simply said, "Very well. I'll have Kankuro cover your duties while you are away."

Bowing slightly she said, "Thank you."

"Have fun big sister." he told her cracking a smile. She turned quickly bounding after Shikamaru and his team. They were soon in the middle of the desert only a few hours from Leaf territory.

"Temari, I honestly don't know how you put up with this much sand. It is literally everywhere. It's gonna take me weeks to get the sand out of all of my gear." Ino cried.

Temari laughed and replied, "I know it can be a pain sometimes but you stop caring eventually." She would spend the rest of the trip out of Sand nation territory thinking about her life, how she met Shikamaru, and how she wanted to spend her life now that there was peace in the ninja world.

She couldn't believe that five years ago she was apart of a plot to destroy the Hidden Leaf with the Sound Village. She couldn't believe she hadn't been strong enough to know that Orochimaru had killed their father. She was blown away by the mind of Shikamaru in the arena during the Chunin Exams, and chuckled when she remembered how he gave up instead of finishing her. He really was something else, she heard of his exploits of leading ninja in combat against the Zetsu army along the coast, and it pained her to hear about how Team Ten was forced to fight against their sensei.

She was fortunate to find a man that had the compassion to be a wonderful leader, and man. Temari wondered what life had in store for the two of them. Would he leave the Leaf or could he convince her to stay with him in the Leaf. It was all uncertain at this point in time, but she remained happy that whatever they faced they would face together as a team.

 **xxxx**

Naruto had managed to outrun his friends and was crossing the border into Fire Country when he took a sharp left to head toward the location Sakura had left him on her note. He remembered vividly the great time he had had the last time he was at these Hot Springs with his friends. He could not believe how much had changed in the years since that event. He had mastered so many new jutsu, befriended Kurama, become a jonin, and was on his way to fulfilling his dream of becoming the seventh Hokage.

His eyes darkened for a moment as he remembered all of those he lost over the years. Jiraiya-sensei a man who had been both his master but also a friend he could confide in, Neji a friend who had also been a great rival, Asuma-sensei an honest man who died protecting his students and family from the Akatsuchi, and Sasuke...a man who driven by the need to take revenge against the Leaf for what happened to his brother.

He had promised so many people that he would not fail in his mission to bring Sasuke back to the Leaf and back to the light. He had failed miserably in this venture. He had almost been killed multiple times by the rogue-nin and Naruto never gave up on him. So when they teamed up to defeat Kaguya and won he had hoped this would solidify their friendship once again. He had been so wrong.

He had challenged Naruto to one last fight, having told him that he needed to kill Naruto to finally cut all of his bonds from his past. They battled for what needed like hours, Naruto using Kurama form and Sasuke using his Susanoo. Finally with their chakra drained they sent forth one last attack, Naruto using his Rasengan, and Sasuke using his Chidori. He remembered how that battle reminded him of their first battle at the Valley of the End. Their attacks had missed colliding and instead Naruto struck home with his rasengan mortally wounding Sasuke while Naruto managed to deflect enough of the chidori to it only amputate his left arm.

He still gets chills remembering Sasuke's final words to him. _'Thank you for never giving up on me. I am sorry for everything. Maybe now I will finally no peace.'_ Snapping out of his daze Naruto realized he had arrived. The Hot Springs had expanded and looked really fancy from the outside as he walked up and into the main lobby.

"Checking in." Naruto said to the receptionist.

"Do you have a reservation with us?" she asked in reply.

"I do not. I would like two rooms for the next two days." he told her whipping out his wallet toad. After exchanging money he collected two keys and made his way to his room. Opening the door he scanned the room and noticed each room seemed to have a queen sized bed a dresser, and nightstand with a really nice bathroom. He deposited his gear and changed into a pair of comfy shorts and a white shirt with the Uzumaki emblem on the front.

He decided he wanted to check out the grounds of the Hot Springs figuring out where everything was and found a really nice steakhouse built in to the grounds now. He made his way to the lobby area where he had decided to wait on Sakura to arrive. About an hour later he had closed his eyes and leaned his head back for just a moment when he heard a familiar pink haired kunoichi's voice.

"Naruto?" she called as she made her way inside. Naruto opened his eyes and looked to see her in just a red T-shirt and dark blue shorts.

"Hey Sakura! I got your message." he said coming over to greet her. She threw her arms around him.

"I am so happy you came. I had a really stressful time at work."

"Well how about you throw down your gear and we can talk about it over dinner." he told her giving her a warming smile. "Don't worry about paying for anything I have already covered the room and everything is included."

"Naruto Uzumaki! Where did you get the money to pay for that?" she scolded him for being so wasteful.

Laughing his reply, "I have been doing a lot of S ranked missions since the war ended and some of them pay really well. Also I don't pay rent on my apartment since the Lord Third gave it to me to make up for what happened to my parents. So I was able to put away all of my money. Seriously don't worry about the next few days they are on me."

She could feel her face starting to blush as she only managed a thank you in response. He gave her the room key for her room and he waited outside for her to finish. Another fifteen minutes and she had gotten as ready as she was going to get for dinner. They made their way down several long hallways. Along each wall, in between each door was a really old looking piece of artwork that Naruto was fascinated with. Finally they arrived at the restaurant, preparing themselves for an amazing meal and each others company.

 **So this is where I am going to stop this chapter. I will pick up with their date at the start of the next chapter. Let me know if you want more on Temari and Shikamaru. The enemy will have a bigger portion in later chapters. This was to at least mention them. I am really enjoying myself with this one so thank you for reading it and leaving positive comments. If you have any ideas for later chapters or think I could change something to help with flow please let me know and I will try to accomodate. As always please Follow, Favorite, and Review.**

 **See y'all next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Just uploaded chapter two 3 hours ago and am already back at it. What can I say when the need to write strikes you must answer. So the last time we left our heroes they were enjoying a little time off from their duties, while in places unknown a new enemy hatches a plan to rid the world of the Hidden Villages and Shinobi. What will happen this week on A Fox among the Cherry Blossoms? Find out now!**

 **As always I do not own Naruto.**

"So how did everything go with Gaara and the Hidden Sand?" Sakura asked propping her head up on her hands.

"I think it went really well! We managed to find a deal that worked for both villages and our signed copy is on its way back to the Hidden Leaf with Team Ten." he told her triumphantly.

"That is really great to hear! See you are already well on your way to becoming Hokage." she said giving him a big smile. While continuing on talking their food arrived. Arrayed before them was a mound of meat, and their pick of the freshest fruit.

"Seriously Naruto I want to thank you so much for covering the cost of our stay here. I will pay you back. No ifs ands or buts about it." she told him contently.

While cooking his meat on the grill in front of him he asked her about work, "So you said your work the last week was rough? What all did you have going?"

Sighing heavily she responded, "Ugh we were slammed yesterday with victims of some sort of bandit attack south of a monastery to our villages south. Then last night last night I had a heart procedure to complete. After my surgeries I had a mound of paperwork I am in the process trying to dig myself out of. All in all I was driving myself mad being stuck in the hospital that long. Not that I don't love working in the hospital I just miss the days of Kakashi-sensei, you, Sasuke, and I going out on missions." she said letting out a loud exhale.

"I get that. I would go crazy if I wasn't going on missions. You should talk to Kakashi about allowing you to return to active service even part time." he said in reply. She agreed. That is something that she would absolutely do when she got back to the village. They sat there in each others silence, nothing being said as they finished up their meal. For one of the first times in his life he was content.

They soon left the restaurant and made their way back to their rooms. "Hey Naruto I think I am going to hit the Hot Springs before I go to bed." Sakura said standing in front of her door.

"Oh ok yeah no problem Sakura. Well I guess I will see you in the morning then for a full day of relaxation!" he said smiling his big goofy grin at her. _'Oh what the hell.' she thought._ Leaning into him, she pressed her lips to his as his heart slammed into his chest.

 _'Oh my god….Sakura is kissing me.'_ his inner self yelled jumping up and down. He pressed her against the door, hands holding her face as their kissing turned ravenous. Sakura was in shock at how wonderful kissing him made her feel. She had always assumed by his reaction to her confession over a year ago in Iron that he just wanted to be friends, oh how she had been wrong. Coming back under control of her conscious mind, she pushed him away for a moment.

"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto!" she said smacking him on the side of his head to pull him back.

Dazed and extremely confused he rubbed his head, "Jeez, Sakura what was that for."

"You dobe I want to go soak in the spa for a while….but," she said with a sly look crossing her face. "Here is my key. Give me an hour to soak and I will meet you in my room." With that she turned and moved down the hall turning her head she gazed back at him seeing his excitement.

He quickly ran back to his room like a man on a mission. He needed to shower before he waited on Sakura. Discarding his clothes as he went he hoped into a shower that was as hot as the fires of hell. He didn't care, he was to lost in thought, _'Oh my god. I can't believe this is happening.'_

 _Kurama growled at him,_ _ **'You idiot, you never understood how much you had changed in her eyes.'**_

 __Confused Naruto realized he sat before Kurama, he turned to face the fox. _'What are you talking about Kurama? I know I have grown a lot since being that stupid kid all those years ago.'_

 _ **'No, that is not what I meant. I saw how the girl looked at you ever since Sasuke had left. You grew on her. Not just as a friend, she started developing feelings. You should know this or did you forget about her confession to you that day in Iron Country?'**_

 __How could he forget something like that. Sakura had confessed her love of him. He had just assumed that it was because she felt bad about him risking his life for Sasuke.

 _The Fox spoke again,_ _ **'She wanted to release you from your promise to her. She really does love you, you idiot. She didn't want you to kill yourself trying to bring a man like him back. You had never let her down, unlike the last Uchiha.'**_

 __Naruto just sat stunned, he knew that at least recently she had developed feelings for him. He was unaware of how deep those feelings went, until now. _'Thanks Kurama.'_ he said to the fox before becoming aware he was back sitting in the shower. He couldn't wait to see Sakura and tell her just how he felt. He quickly dried off and made his way to her room in only a T-shirt and shorts.

Sakura had been sitting in the Springs alone for the past forty-five minutes just contemplating everything. She made her Inner Sakura very happy by making the first move, _'You know what I am tired of waiting for love to find me. I am glad I kissed Naruto, because I know, or at least I am pretty sure I know how he feels about me.'_ She had only been away from work and the bustle of the village for roughly four hours and she was already so relaxed. Soon the time she gave Naruto was approaching, she exited the water and moved to her towel, water dripping from her naked form. Leaving her clothes with the attendant she slipped into a robe and walked back to her room, where a very energetic should be waiting.

The blond was sitting on top of her bed reading a book as the door opened revealing the pinkette entering in nothing but a robe. His jaw hit the floor as he closed his book. Noticing his gaze, upon her she blushed, "What is it?" He was struggling to find the words to explain his feeling to her.

"Beautiful...you look beautiful," he said his eyes locked on her. _'Smooth you idiot,'_ he thought to himself. He stood to meet her, grasping her face in his hands again. Staring into her mint green eyes he spoke again, "I'm sorry it's taken me so long to say this but I love you Sakura. I have since the day I met you." She could feel his warmth against her cool body as she pressed into him giving her reply.

"I love you too Naruto Uzumaki. I know you have always loved me, I am sorry it took me so long to see." She longed to have his lips on hers again and finally he obliged her. Wrapping one strong arm around her waist he lifted her up, eliciting a giggle from the kunoichi. Carrying her over to the bed he carefully laid her down, alsos careful not to break their lips. Once they had settled on the bed, he trailed south planting kiss after kiss on her jaw moving down her neck nipping, kissing, licking her skin zealously. She moaned loudly her fingers grasping firmly his golden locks.

As soon as she could her hands were moving around under his shirt feeling the creases of his muscles and in between her brain melting from the pleasure she was feeling commenting to herself, _'God! He was sculpted by the gods. How did it take me so long to realize how much of a man he was.'_ She needed this pesky shirt off now or she would tear it to shreds. She nearly ripped it over his head and Naruto found himself shirtless and trying to move inside her robe. Trying to be as seductive as possible she helped him by pulling the strings until they fell to the sides revealing her cream colored skin underneath. Naruto sat back and and had to admire his Sakura. _'His Sakura.'_ he thought. He liked the sound of that he chuckled at himself. She blushed and said, "What is so funny." Trying to cover herself.

"No, no, no Sakura I wasn't laughing at you. I was sitting back admiring you." Before she could argue anymore he was back at it kissing his way down her neck edging close to her breasts. Taking one in his hand he began to gently play with her nipple, and with his mouth voraciously attacked her other with his mouth causing her to half yelp half laugh in surprise. She looked to the ceiling as she felt the room spinning. She could feel her juices flowing down her thighs as the room filled with her moans and his growls. He was driving her crazy, she needed some sort of relief from this pressure. She quickly moved to discard her robe completely, and as he played with her breasts she grinded on his thigh moaning loudly his name. "Naruto….please help." she begged. He eyed her keenly and began moving slowly down her taut stomach planting kisses as he went. Teasing her he brought himself back up to her face kissing her deeply. She whined at the lack of help, obliging her he moved his hand down coming to rest on her clit. He began his slow play moving back in forth doing his best to judge her reactions.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as he found the sweet spot. He picked up the pace as she moaned into his kiss. She couldn't believe a person could make her feel this amazing. Naruto was driving her to the cliff and she knew she wasn't going to last much longer. Her brain was losing its grip on sanity as with one last stroke she was sent flying over the edge. Her mind went blank in that instant as her body spasmed, and began to shake. Her back arched pushing her into Naruto. Moving his hand away he gave her a respite as she came down from bliss.

As the trembling subsided she sat staring at Naruto with a smile on her face. Unbeknownst to him she wasn't done with him yet. The fire in her belly needed more. She needed him inside of her. Testing her arms out to make sure they still worked she grabbed Naruto and quickly flipped him around allowing herself to sit on him. Frowning that she was the only naked one she sat up only to quickly pull his shorts off. In one quick motion his penis was out and she sat in awe. She had seen her fair share of penises during her time at the hospital and had hated the sight of all of them but good lord Naruto was gifted by the gods.

She quickly grabbed at her nightstand and pulled a pink package out. Smiling she ripped it open and quickly wrapped him up. This was it, she was going to have sex for the first time with her Naruto. She moved to straddle him, bringing her slit in line with his condom covered penis. She heart was pounding against her chest as she hesitantly spoke, "Please be gentle. This is my first time."

Naruto wanted both of their first times to be perfect so he obeyed. Gently they began as Naruto slowly entered her only up to his head. She gritted her teeth at the pain trying to adjust herself. Soon the pain subsided some and she gave him a nod to continue slowly. Finally he had made it all the way inside and he had to stop himself from blowing his load already. Their back and forth motions began to pick up as Sakura was again losing herself in the moment. "Oh my god Naruto! You feel incredible!" she cried. With extreme focus he moved his hands across her body once again finding her breasts playing with her nipples he elicited more moans from his beautiful _girlfriend_. He couldn't stand it any longer he was going to explode. He moved one hand to her clit and began his movements again as Sakura loudly groaned as she once again fell off the cliff Naruto had brought her too.

Seeing his partner orgasm and feeling her clamp down on his member sent him over the edge too as his body locked up. They sat there in that moment reveling in what they had done. She finally flopped down next to him totally spent. Looking over to him and his deep blue eyes she wrapped her arms him and whispered, "I love you Naruto. I am never letting you go." She closed her eyes being to fall into a deep sleep. Naruto laid there staring at his gorgeous woman before slowing crawling out of bed to clean up. Returning a short time later he heard her soft snoring. Crawling back into bed he wrapped himself around Sakura before closing his eyes contently drifting off into blissful slumber.

 **I think this is a perfect place to end this chapter. I know a lot of people had said they wanted more NaruSaku so this one was for y'all. Hope this helps. I do apologize if the sex scene wasn't written the best. Still figuring out how to write those better. Now they are unofficially dating and we can be more open about the lovey dovey stuff. I will introduce the villains more in the following chapters. Thanks for all the comments and as always Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **See y'all soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So we are back for the next installment of this great story. I promise there will be more action in this chapter compared to the others. To recap Naruto and Sakura admitted their feelings for one another and took it all the way. What will happen on this episode of A Fox among the Cherry Blossoms? Read below to find out.**

 **As always I do not own Naruto.**

 **Disturbance**

Feeling his partner shift in the bed stirred Naruto awake. He looked around and guessed by the sun peaking through the window it was roughly ten. Quickly throwing a robe, he had a plan and snuck out of the room ever so quietly. He made his way down the long and snaking hallways until he managed to find the continental breakfast. Ordering a full breakfast for the both of them he hurried back to the room. Opening the door he noticed Sakura had begun to stir, "Good morning beautiful."

She smiled sweetly at him stretching her arms over her head. "Hey. What do you have there?" she asked.

"Well I figured you could start your day off right with some breakfast in bed." he said setting the tray down. She eyed her food hungrily as he set her food down on the bedspread causing her to sit up and begin to eat.

"You are seriously way to nice to me," she said scarfing her food down not really caring how she looked at the moment.

He laughed heartily, "It may be because I love you. I want you to have a relaxing day so enjoy all this place offers. I hear the massages are wonderful."

"Well they maybe wonderful but they won't ever be as good as you are," she said playfully punching his arm.

"Aw you are way to kind. So while you do that I am going to go train for a while in the next canyon over." he said. She frowned and asked him to stay. "I will be back around lunch time and we can do something together I promise." She caved and agreed continuing to eat her breakfast.

After they had finished she put her robe back on and they went their separate ways. She had called the receptionist to set up a back massage for ten minutes from now. So she made her way down to the massage parlor and prepped to be pampered. She thought to herself, _'I really need to do something special for him when we get back to the village.'_ The masseuse came in and her session began. It was like Naruto said. They got rid of all of the knots in her back and she drifted into serenity.

Naruto had used his sage mode to make it quickly over to the canyon to begin his training. He first called upon Kurama and as a team they formed the massive Kurama beast that they had used against Sasuke. They worked through several jutsu getting down their teamwork and making sure his chakra control. For the next several hours the young jinchuuriki worked to perfect all of his specialty jutsu. He decided it was time to go see his wonderful girlfriend again. As he walked back his keen fox-like senses picked up on several new chakra signatures approaching him from the west.

Naruto knew they had spotted his chakra signature from a mile away so hiding was out of the question. "Who is there?" he called out once he was sure they were close enough to hear him.

"My name is Jugotsu!" a voice called out. "It is a pleasure to finally meet the hero of the Fourth Shinobi World War."

"You and your friends are pretty powerful based on your chakra signatures. What are you doing out here?" he asked trying to pry something out of them.

"You will find out soon enough. We will meet again soon Jinchuuriki…" and without even laying eyes on him the chakra presence of the individuals disappeared.

' _Kakashi-sensei needs to hear about this. That was a little too ominous to not do something.'_ he thought. With the swift movement of his hands he summoned one of his toads.

"Hey boss!" shouted a orange and black toad giving Naruto a salute.

"Go give Kakashi a message. Tell him to alert all the other villages. They could be in danger. See what he can find on a ninja by the name of Jugotsu. Tell him I am at the Hot Springs to the East. If he needs me to send Pakkun but I will be back sometime tomorrow night."

"You got it boss!" shouted the toad before poofing into a cloud of smoke. Naruto was deeply concerned by what the ninja had said. He made his way back toward the cluster of buildings that surrounded the Hot Springs.

Sakura hadn't realized how much time had passed as she sat in their room contemplating her life up to that point. She was coming to the same conclusion over and over again. For the first time in a long time she was content with where her life was at. She had finally found a man that took care of her and cared about her so deeply that it hurt. She knew that she was ready to face any challenge the future held as long as she had her Naruto by her side. _'Her Naruto,'_ _chuckled to herself._ She was about to go look for Naruto as the time ticked away on the clock. As she moved to stand up she was greeted by Naruto who entered.

"Hey." she said to him giving him a very warm smile and coming to embrace him. He returned the hug but Sakura could tell something was off. "What's going on?"

"Someone showed up as I finished my training session." Naruto said trailing off as his eyes dropped to the floor deep in thought.

"What did they look like?" she asked her heart jumping as she spoke.

"I don't know. I didn't see anyone. I could feel their chakra signiture's and I heard a man speak to me." he told her.

"Signiture's as in multiple people?" she asked. He nodded.

"The man said I would see soon what his plan would be." Naruto said.

"Well then you know where we need to be." she said their eyes locking. Seeing a determined look in her eyes he nodded again. They would spend the next hour preparing to travel light and reach the village by dusk.

 **xxxx**

Kakashi sat in contemplation at his desk in the Hokage Tower. He knew that it was to soon for any new information to be making its way back to him yet. He had heeded Naruto's message, and dispatched extra patrols to the border regions with the Hidden Sound, and Hidden Mist Villages. The young jinchuuriki had seen something that he didn't know how to handle on his own and was protecting his village as best he could. Kakashi smiled at the thought, _'The kid will be alright.'_ A knock came from his office door.

"Sir," Shikamaru entered.

"Yes Shikamaru?" he returned.

"I have a theory on what they might be doing." he said approaching the desk. Laying out a map the young advisor spoke again. "So there are three jinchuuriki left among us after the conclusion of the war. What if they are trying to wipe out the hardest targets first? We bump up security for the other villages and assume that because our enemy may not want to fight a jinchuuriki we are not as prepared."

"Honestly the thought had crossed my mind. For now I will keep the deployments where they are. I am going to do this just because Naruto said that he saw the felt the signatures move toward the direction of Suna." Both knew that eventually the enemy would find its way to Konoha.

 **xxxx**

The kunoichi and her jinchuuriki boyfriend travelled quickly across the hundreds of thousands of trees that separated them from home. Time seemed to be moving quickly which Naruto was thankful for. As the sunset on the days travel, Naruto noticed two ninja drop on either side of them keeping pace. It was Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino.

"Hey Naruto, Sakura! What are you guys doing out here?" Kiba said in his loud boisterous voice followed by a just as loud bark from his buddy.

"Just taking a few days off. I need to speak to Kakashi-sensei immediately though!" he replied.

Not taking that answer at face value he chuckled to himself before responding. "The Hokage is in the Tower." Soon the two had crossed the main gateway into the village and decided to make a quick stop.

"Sakura, you go ahead and head home. I will see you later, I really need to debrief with Kakashi." he told her looking into those green eyes. She gave him a quick hug and kiss and he was off.

She was left there gazing off toward the Hokage Tower in awe at her amazing boyfriend. She wondered if she should go home, a lightbulb clicked and she instead began heading in the direction of Naruto's apartment.

 **xxxx**

The knucklehead ninja blew into Kakashi's office, surprising the Sharingan user. "Oh Naruto, I hadn't expected to see you so soon."

"I know but I felt like this was something I should try and be early for." he said shrugging his shoulders.

"Naruto, I just want you to describe for me exactly what happened?" he said gesturing for Naruto to take a seat. He sat there for what felt like hours going over every detail of the incident and how he had felt an immense hatred coming from this group and that they also had a pretty big chakra signatures.

It wasn't too long after this that Kakashi would send Naruto home and told him to take tomorrow off. The blonde ninja took his time walking home. He gazed up into the night sky and wondered how serious this threat was and how things were so much easier back when it was just Kakashi-sensei and Team 7. Before he realized it he was standing in front of his apartment. Making his way upstairs to the top floor he put his key into the lock and stepped into the dark apartment. Locking the door and flipping the light switch he then noticed her.

 **I'm sorry guys I know this is super short but I have to cut this chapter short. I apologize in advance if this is too short or it wasn't well written. I am trying to wrap my head around my new job. I promise that the next chapter will have more lemons from both couples in this story and will be better written. I am working full-time now so I will be struggling to write as much in the next few weeks but know I am not ending this story. Once I get done with my work I will write more and hopefully upload at night sometime hopefully before the weekend. Once again thank you so much and Favorite and Follow!**


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